Wide Open Spaces
by J.D. Sempai
Summary: For a man who had never left the city, Eustass Kidd was ecstatic to be working on the Heat farm all summer. There, he meets new friends, makes new enemies, and faces the biggest problem of his life - save his own life, or save his lover's life. AU, KiddXKiller, hints of other pairings as well.
1. I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool

**I present to all of you loverlies another KiddXKiller! This is going to be a long, multi-chapter romance (yes, along the lines, there will be lemons) story, that focuses on KiddXKiller, but will have hints of other things. Okay, I'll stop rambling. Enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Wide Open Spaces**

* * *

**Chapter One/ I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool**

"Thanks again, Kidd," Eddie Heat smiled as they drove down a back road in the countryside. Eustass Kidd sat shotgun in the old beat up Chevy Truck, staring at the green scenery with the eyes of a child – he had never been out of the city before, and now here he was, sitting in a truck, out in the country. He was entranced by all the green, and the lack of houses.

They passed by a field with little green sprout-lings waving gently in the breeze under the spring sun. The redhead watched with wide, rouge eyes as the plants passed.

"What were those?" Kidd asked, looking to Eddie.

"Potatoes, probably. That's the Firch Farm – they normally only grow potatoes, onions, corn, and when the time comes, pumpkins," the bluenette explained. The truck came to the end of the road, and made a left turn down a thin dirt lane.

The road was bumpy, which caused Kidd to be jostled around the cab. "What the hell?"

"We're on a dirt road," Eddie explained, driving down the winding dirt road. Trees created a tunnel-like effect around the road. The pale teen stuck his head out of the window to find that they were, indeed, just driving on dirt. After a few moments, they came to a fork in the dirt road. Heat turned down the right path, driving down a small hill to get to the house where they were going to be staying.

"Whoa! That's so cool!" Kidd grinned, loving the smell of the fresh air and trees all around them.

"Trust me, it gets old fast. Especially when it rains."

Kidd watched as they drove down the small hill to find a little clearing within the trees. A farm house stood proudly in its little hideaway. To say that the redhead was ecstatic would be an understatement. He was practically bouncing in his seat, as Eddie pulled up beside a tractor. A _real _tractor – it was rusted, but he could tell that it used to be red. The paint on the side said 'McCormick', whatever that was. The bluenette shut off the truck, then got out. Kidd followed suit, turning his head happily to see how the trees above them made a sort of canopy.

Eddie grabbed his and his friend's bags out of the bed of the truck, hauling them over his shoulders.

"Oi, Space Cadet," the smaller man chuckled, and handed Kidd his bag. "It's not really anything to freak out about. They're just trees."

"But, they're _huge_!" He said with a grin.

"Whatever. Come on," Heat said, dragging the redhead with him. He stepped up the three stairs up to the wrap-around porch, before pulling open the screen door and walking inside.

"Shouldn't you knock?" Kidd asked, silently following his friend into the house.

"Not unless you're the Pastor or a Jehovah's Witness," the bluenette said. "Nana!"

Kidd had read the letters from Nana Heat, and he had written something in a few of them, as well. From what she had written, the redhead had a fond picture of her within his mind.

"Is that my little Eddie?" A voice called from the depths of the old wooden house.

"Nana!" Heat grinned, walking down the hall and turned left into an open entryway. Kidd silently followed and peered through the space to see into a kitchen.

Nana Heat was far different from what the pale teen had pictured. He thought that she would look more like his grandmother – small, wrinkly, and frail. No, Nana Heat was a completely different breed of woman.

She stood just a head under Eddie, but she was strong. There seemed to be nothing weak about her. Along her tanned skin were sunspots that were earned from hardworking years under the sun. Her waist length grey hair was tied back in a ponytail that was tight against the base of her neck. Her brown eyes sparkled above her kilowatt smile.

Eddie took his grandmother into a tight hug, grinning. "I've missed you, Nana!"

"Then don't stay away for too long next time," Nana Heat smiled, returning the hug. When they pulled apart, her eyes landed on Kidd. She opened her arms, and waved him over. "You, too, Kiddo."

Shyly, the redhead stepped into the strong arms, hugging her gently. Her hug, however, was air tight.

"Well, aren't you boys a sight for sore eyes," Nana Heat said, pulling away from the pale teen. "I'm so glad you both decided to spend the summer here."

"Kidd was about to drop dead from excitement when I told him about it," Heat said, playfully punching the taller teen in the arm.

"Well, I'm glad to hear. We're going to work you to the bone," she grinned, and Kidd wasn't entirely sure if she was kidding or not. "You two are in your old room, Eddie," she smiled, and waved them off, presumably to finish the task she was doing before they walked in.

"C'mon," Heat chuckled, yanking Kidd towards the hall again, then up the stairs that were on the other side of the hall. They climbed the stairs, to the upper floor. The duo walked down the hall to the room at the very end. The bluenette opened the door, and stepped into the room.

Two twin beds sat on opposite sides of the room, each covered with a different coloured quilt. A window that hung between the two beds let some light from the afternoon sun into the room. A closet was to the right of the doorway, and the room smelled like dust. Kidd already loved it.

"Pick a bed," Heat said, dropping his bag in front of the closet. The redhead went to the one that wasn't in front of the door, liking the soft blue quilt that was laid on it. He sat on it with a contented little smile on his face. The smaller of the two sat on the other bed, watching his friend's reaction.

"You really like it here, huh?"

Kidd blinked, and then nodded. "My mom always used to tell me stories about the countryside where she grew up. She said it was the best time of her life, and that she'd always wanted to take me back there."

Heat decided to almost immediately change the subject. Kidd never liked to talk about his family – it was too painful.

"Well, I hope you've grown a taste for country music. Because that's all you're gonna hear, all summer."

"I think I can manage," the redhead grinned.

"Boys!" Nana Heat called up the stairs. "Could you go get the others from the farm?"

"Sure!" Eddie called back down. "Come on, let's go introduce you to the rest of the crew, yeah?"

The boys stepped outside and Heat walked over to something covered in a dirty green tarp. The plastic was held down with rocks around the edges. The bluenette merely tore the tarp off of the quad, and tossed it on the tractor. He swung his leg over the side, and checked the gas tank to make sure they had enough gas to make it up to the barn, possibly the fields, and then back home.

"Get on," Eddie said, after he saw Kidd standing there like a stick in the mud. The redhead blinked, the climbed onto the machine behind his friend, entwining his fingers on the rack that was seated on the back end. He squeezed tightly as the bluenette started up the quad, and pulled off. Up the hill was a slow endeavor, but after that, Kidd was glad he still had his goggles. He put them on so he could actually see the scenery zooming by without tears gathering in his eyes because of the wind.

At the fork in the road, they hooked a right, speeding up a slight hill, but it leveled out whenever they emerged from the thicket of trees. The view took Kidd's breath away.

The fields were vastly open, leaving a perfect view of the robin-egg blue sky. The fields all had different plants in them, growing happily. It was still early spring, so Kidd had no idea what they were, but he was happy to see the little sprouts sticking out of the earth. Eddie gunned on the gas, which made the redhead behind him jolt backwards a little – he tightened his grip on the rack. They drove up the wide path to the barn. The white paint was old and peeling, but it held a strange alluring quality for the city-slicker.

Eddie pulled up to the side of the barn and shut the machine off. He piled off, Kidd following suit. The redhead put his goggles back where they usually sat. They both entered the barn, where a few cat-calls were heard from the rafters and below the floor.

"Oooh, Eddie-Boy's got himself a little puppy!"

"Damn fine, too!"

"Hey, Eddie! Ya sharin'?"

Laughter echoed through the barn, reverberating from the wood planks.

"Oh, shaddap, ya yard-apes!" Eddie growled. "Come up and down from there, and say hello!"

Scuffles of footsteps echoed, and four teenage boys stepped out of the shadows.

"Oh, relax! We were just messin' around," The one with just a pair of baggy shorts and ankle-length boots said, offering a kilowatt smile. His hair was black and shaggy, while freckles dotted across the bridge of his nose. Sitting on his head was an orange cowboy hat.

"Sorry," the smallest boy, who had the same shaggy black hair as the first, but it was hidden by a straw hat. A red vest and jean shorts ended at his knees. Sandals decorated his feet, but they seemed flimsy.

The tallest male stood in silence, but his eye raked over Kidd. He was dressed in a pair of dark-coloured jeans, dark boots, but lacked a shirt. His hair was tied back, letting the black strands hang behind him.

The last teen was the one that made Kidd stop for a few moments. He stood shorter than everyone except for the boy in the straw hat, but he was clearly muscled – the redhead could tell that through the white cotton t-shirt. Light coloured jeans hugged his legs in just the right way, and he couldn't help but notice how well those black cowboy boots looked on him. A hat that was strapped to a chord around his neck hung behind his back. The thigh-length hair was pulled back, but the long bangs hung in front of his face.

"These are the D brothers, Ace and his little brother Luffy, Wire, and Killer. Guys, this is Eustass Kidd. He's gonna be working with us for the summer," Eddie said, gesturing to his friend.

"Man, city-slickers are the worst," Ace frowned. "They always complain about the dirt and hard work. You up for it?"

"Ace, quit intimidating the puppy," The blonde chided.

"Anyways, Nana says it's time to get to the house," Heat said, then nodded at everyone else's groans.

"Is that a bad thing?" Kidd asked, wondering why everyone was groaning.

"Sorta. That means it's chore time. We're field boys, not maids," Ace said, grumbling as everyone left the barn. Kidd followed after everyone, and climbed onto the back of the quad whenever Eddie beckoned him.

He heard different engines rumble to life. Three machines rolled out from the back of the barn. The D brothers were on a quad like they were, while Killer and Wire were on dirt bikes. Ace revved the engine, staring everyone down.

"Hold on tight," the blunette said, revving his engine as well. Hesitantly, Kidd wrapped his arms around his friend's middle, slightly unsure as to what was about to happen. He didn't bother with the goggles this time. After both Killer and Wire revved their engines in return, they all started off.

Kidd buried his face in Heat's back as the four vehicles raced each other down the dirt road of the farm. He felt the heat from the other vehicle's engines against his legs on occasion, gulping slightly. When he finally did peek up from where his face was buried, he saw the mess of blonde hair known as Killer passing them.

"Damn!" Eddie laughed, hooking a sharp left a few seconds after Killer did, heading down to the house. Their speed significantly decreased as they pulled up in front of the house, the blonde wearing a triumphant grin. Once everyone had pulled in after the trio, the engines shut off, leaving silence in their wake.

"Man, we were so close!" Luffy whined, which only made Ace chuckle.

"Don't worry, Lu. We'll get 'em, soon enough."

Laughing, everyone dismounted, and climbed into the house. Kidd remained silent as he followed everyone else into the house. They all turned left into the living room as soon as they stepped in. Nana was standing there, like a marine captain in front of her troops. Everyone lined up, ready for their tasks to be assigned.

"Okay, boys, listen up," Nana Heat said, smiling softly, yet her eyes said that none of her orders were to be questioned. "D boys, you go check on the animals down the hill. Make sure they have food and water. Get any eggs you find. Eddie and Wire, you guys will clean the house and outside. Killer and Kiddo, will you guys go to town and buy the groceries?" She handed Killer a folded piece of paper, and a small wad of cash.

"Sure," Killer smiled, and then gave Nana Heat a kiss on the cheek. "Come on, City." He dragged Kidd by the arm, outside, with a little bounce in his step. All of the other boys, Kidd noticed as he was leaving, gave Nana Heat a kiss on the cheek before going off on their assigned tasks.

The blonde grabbed a set of keys sitting on top of the table that stood by the doorway. There were a few other sets of keys on there, but the pale teen had no idea what they were for. The duo left the house, and Kidd was eager to know what the town looked like.

* * *

**I had so much fun writing this! I've grown up in nothing but country, so I made Kidd like my friends who live in the city. I think it's kind of cute :3 Any who, I really hope that you guys will keep up with this story, and tell me what you think about it! Also, if you have any suggestions about things, please tell me. I'd love to know! Stay tuned for the next chapter! I'm working really hard on it!**


	2. It's Alright to be Little Bitty

**Chapter Two/It's alright to be Little Bitty**

Killer and Kidd both piled into the pickup truck, and carefully drove up the small hill, then went straight at the fork in the road so that they would eventually reach asphalt. The redhead stared out of the open windows, enjoying the view of the green. When the bumpiness finally stopped, and they emerged from the trees onto blacktop, Kidd wondered where the town actually was. Did they pass it as Eddie drove them to the farm the first time, and he was too busy looking at the fields?

"So, you're from South Blue City, huh?" Killer said suddenly, startling the pale teen.

"Yeah. How did you know?"

"Your jeans. Way too baggy. You're gonna need a few pairs that actually fit right if you plan on working with us," the blonde said, smiling over at Kidd.

"Oh…okay," he replied. Suddenly, the redhead felt self-conscience about his pants.

"Lived in the city all your life, huh?" Killer asked, taking a left turn when they came to a crossroads.

"Obvious?"

"You're a bit too guarded. Relax a little. You have a family out here now," the tan male replied with a smile. "No one messes with Nana's boys around here."

"That sounds…really nice," Kidd said, offering a small smile back. After a few minutes of silence, Killer pulled into the small town. The redhead vaguely noticed a sign that said 'Welcome to Mayberry'.

The town wasn't that big. In fact, to Kidd, it was downright dinky. It was about the size of the park in South Blue City, which had a half a mile radius. As they drove down the road, Kidd was shocked to see people walking and standing _in the middle of the street_. They didn't seem to have a care in the world. Did they know that they could be hit?

"Why are they in the middle of the street?" The redhead asked, watching as Killer maneuvered the truck around them. They waved as the truck passed, but Kidd didn't wave back. His jaw was too busy trying to meet the floor of the cab.

"They're not. They're in the middle of the road," Killer chuckled. He pulled into a parking lot which had another truck, and a few quads parked there. He put the truck in park, shut off the engine, then hopped out of the cab. Kidd sat in the cab, still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that people didn't get hit when they stood in the road. Killer watched him for a few moments, before shaking his head with a smile. Honestly, some city-slickers.

"Oi!" The tanned teen said, walking over to the passenger's side. He reached into the cab to wave his hand in front of the rouge eyes that were staring off into space. "Space Cadet!"

Kidd blinked out of his stupor, and then looked to the blonde. "What?"

"Are you coming, or what?" Killer asked, opening the door for the redhead. Nodding, Kidd slid out of the cab. He followed the other closely, scanning everything. He noticed that above the door to the store, carved in wood was the name '_Country Store_'.

Inside was just like every grocery store that he had seen. Except for the fact that everything looked so much more appetizing, and that hardly anything was wrapped in plastic with big colourful labels stapled to them. It also smelled like dirt – it seemed that everything did. Although, Kidd found that he rather enjoyed it.

Killer immediately began searching the aisles, unfolding the list as he went. It was a rather short list written in Nana's messy scrawl – '_meat, milk, chicken, potatoes, and things for Kiddo'_. The blonde nodded to himself, and walked a bit after now that he knew what he was searching for.

Kidd followed, looking at everything. It seemed that this place wasn't just a grocery store – it had a little bit of everything. There were knickknacks, clothes, and things that the redhead had never seen before. When Killer stopped and began sorting through some of the jeans, he picked up something that he found very interesting.

It was a circle, with thread tied through it, creating a very strange pattern in the center. Within the different coloured threads, a hole was at the middle. At the bottom of the circle were feathers that dangled. He held it up, his eyes tracing the multi-coloured strings.

"That's a dream catcher," Killer said, seeing the redhead out of the corner of his hidden eyes.

"A what?" The pale teen asked, looking at the blonde.

"It's an old Native American craft," he explained, holding up a pair of jeans. He held them next to the taller teen's hips, and then nodded to himself. He grabbed a few more pairs before beginning to walk again. Kidd put the dream catcher back, and then followed the blonde as they walked through the store.

Quickly, Kidd found himself holding the four new pairs of jeans for him, a gallon of milk, and a sack of potatoes. After a quick trip to the deli counter, which was basically just piles of hamburger, ribs, steaks, and other things of such nature, they were already on their way out.

The redhead had never been in a store for such a small amount of time. It amazed him, in all honestly. Why was everything in the city about speed, yet everything took so much time.

"Hey, Killer. Who's this?"

When Kidd came back to reality, he realized that they were already at the check-out, and Killer had taken everything from him.

"This is Kidd," the blonde said to the cashier. The teen had close-cropped green hair, and Kidd wondered if it was natural or not. He was as tan as Killer and the D brothers were, and he seemed just as muscular. The male also seemed very un-enthused with his situation.

"Workin' with Nana, huh?" The moss-head asked, ringing their things up.

"Yeah," Kidd said, after a while.

"I'm Zoro," he finally said, taking the wad of cash from Killer. "You'll see me around there a lot."

"Looking forward to it," the redhead said, taking the sack of potatoes and a bag that was handed to him.

"Bye," Killer said, taking the gallon of milk and the other bag.

"See ya," Zoro waved, and the duo left. Kidd blinked, and followed Killer. How in the hell did that go so fast?

"Shocked, City?" Killer asked as he hefted the milk and bag into the bed of the truck. He took the bag of potatoes and the other bag from the redhead, and set them in the back.

"Does everyone work on the farm?"

"No, but we do get a lot of help. It's what people do – we help each other out." Killer offered a smile as he climbed into the driver's seat. Kidd climbed into the other side, before wondering just how many people helped out at the farm. He closed his eyes against the sunshine that flitted in through the open window, letting the wind rustle his hair as they drove away from The Country Store.

* * *

**I'm sorry this took so long! I had to go to the hospital (not as serious as it sounds!), and I just haven't been feeling well for the past week. That's why this chapter is so short. But, don't worry! I will try to upload at least once a week, or once ever two weeks at most! Thank you all for reading. I'd appreciate some feedback, so I know what to work on.**


End file.
